Terminal connection and method of making the same



N. J. POUX Oct. 19, 1948.

TERMINAL CONNECTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1945 D R A H INVENTOR NOEL J. POUX Q63 ATT N EY Oct. 19, 1948. poux 2,451,773 TERMINAL CONNECTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR NOEL J. POUX Patented Oct. 19, 1948 TERMINAL CONNECTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Noel J. Poux, Meadvillc, Pa.

Application February 2, 1945, Serial No. 575.890

3 Claims. 1

form or terminal connections between which the resistance element is arranged and securely held thereby. Each of these terminal connections consists usually of a cap-like member into which the opposed ends of the resistance element is disposed and held therein by a press ilt so as to be securely attached thereto. In other words, these cap-like members fit tightly around and envelop the ends of the resistance element. There is carried by each of these cap-like members a lead wire for attaching the resistor to electrical connectlons when in use, thereby providing a terrni-= nal connection at each end of the resistor.

Heretofore, in such resistors. the terminal connection consisted usually of a cap having attached thereto, a lead wire in the form of a separate short piece of wire. This lead wire was secured to the cap by welding or by inserting the lead wire through a hole centrally oi the cap and in= serting or otherwise attaching the inner end of the wire at the point it passed through the hole so as to interconnect the cap and wire. it ter minal connection made in such a manner was not only dificult and expensive to assemble, but oftentimes, a poor joint was formed between the end of the lead wire and the cap, which, of course, was objectionable for the reason that this would provide a loose connection in the circuit when the resistor was in use, and this was particularly objectionable in case the resistor was to be used in a radio, as usually it resulted in unpleasant noises and would prevent a clear reception or a broadcast. In order to obtain a better joint 'between the cap and the end of the lead wire, the Joint was at times soldered or dipped, but this was tedious as well as an additional timeconsuming operation. Also, considerable scrap resulted from the manufacture or such a terminal connection in two pieces.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved terminal connection having a combined resistor cap and lead wire therefor made in one piece, thereby eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved method of making a terminal coniii) 2 arranged which is simple and inexpensive in its manufacture and at the same time. efilcicnt and effective in its use.

It is a further object 0! this invention to provide an improved method or making a terminal connection having a cap and lead wire integrally arranged, whereby the cap is made relatively hard and the lead wire is made relatively soft, so that the lead wire may be easily bent for connection purposes.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a combined resistor can and lead wire therefor which are integrally arranged with that portion of the lead wire adjacent the can having a greater cross-sectional area than the remainder of the lead wire, so that the bending stresses to which the lead wire is subjected at this point, are dlstrihuted over a relatively large area, thereoy eliminating any danger of breaking or fracture or the lead wire at this point as a result of repeated bending towhich it is subjected.

Various other ohiec'ts advantages of this invention will he more apparent the course of the following specification, and will he particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the occorananying drawings, there is shown for the nurpose of illustration, one embodiment which my invention assume in practice.

these drawirics:

Fla. T. is a perspective view oi a resistor having the improved oaf. connection of my invention incorporated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged eievatlonai view partly in section. of my improved terminal connection;

Fig. 3 is longitudinal sectional view through a die showing the first steo of ioririing therein the terminal connection oi the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a longitudlriai sectional view through the die similar to 3, showing how the termi nal connection is iorrned therein; and

Fig. 5 is a plan. view or? the die as shown in Fig. 3.

Reierriiio more particularly to the drawings, my improved terminal connection, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, comprises a one-piece body member having" a cylindrical cup-like cap portion 8 whichhas a relatively thin side wall 4 with one end of the can portion being open, as at .5, into which the end of the resistor element R is adapted to be inserted. The inner diameter of the cap portion 3 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the resistor element R to which it is adapted to be attached, in the manner as shown in Fig. '1, so that the end of the resistance elenectlon having a cap and lead wire integrally 55 ment will be held in the cap by a press fit. The

in the hole l5 oi the die [2, as shown in 3 end of the cap portion opposite the open end I is closed, as at B. and there is arranged integral with and centrally of this closed end wall, an outwardly extending, elongated wire-like lead portion 1, having a relatively small diameter for connecting the resistor to a suitable connection when in use.

At the juncture 8 of the cap portion 3 and the lead portion I, there is provided a curved fillet 9 having preferably a relatively large radius. This curved fillet 8 merges into preferably a tapered portion I adjacent the lead portion 7 and this tapered portion merges into the outer diameter of the straight or remainder portion of the lead portion. By providing such a fillet, it will be seen that the lead portion 1 has a greater cross-sectional area at the juncture 8 of the cap portion and the lead portion than the remainder of the lead portion. In other words. the juncture 8 has a larger diameter than the remainder of the lead Portion and diminishes in diameter toward the lead portion. This is extremely desirable for two reasons. First, it makes for easier removal or ejection of the terminal connection from the die in which it is formed as will be described hereinafter, and, secondly, bending or flexing stresses.

to which the wire-like lead portion is repeatedly subjected at this point when the terminal is in use, are distributed over a relatively large area thereby tending to eliminate breakage or fracture of the lead portion at this point, due to such repeated bending.

Having disclosed the construction of my improved terminal connection, the die assembly for making the same, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, will now be described. There is provided preferably an inverted frusto-conical-shaped two-part die l2, which is mounted in a tapered opening it in a suitable die-holder l4. Centrally of the die it in the upper portion or larger end thereof, there is arranged a cylindrical hole 95, which communicates with an elongated relatively small hole 86 in the bottom thereof so as to provide a shoulder 2i and a neck portion 29a between the two holes i5 and to intermediate the length of the die.

Adjacent the top of the die, there is arranged thereon in any suitable manner a stop plate ll,

. relatively soft wire lead the purpose of which will later be described.

Directly above the hole !5 and concentric therewith. there is arranged a reciprocable piston-like plunger it which cooperates with the hole 15 in the die to form my terminal connection in a manner to be described. The extreme outer end of the plunger i8 is reduced as at i9, so as tov provide clearance therearound when it is positioned in the hole I5 in the die. This plunger may be actuated by any suitable mechanism (not shown). Directly below the smaller hole i6 and concentric therewith, there is arranged an ejector 20 in the form of an elongated rod which is adapted to be reciprocated by any suitable means (not shown).

The improved terminal connection of my invention is formed in this die assembly in the following manner. In their initial positions, both the plunger l8 and the ejector 20 are disposed in their retracted positions, as shown in thegbroken and full lines, respectively, of Fig. 3 of the 'drawings. A quantity of metallic material, preferably in the form of a cylindrical blank B is then placed Fig. 3, so as to rest on the shoulder 2| between the holes l5 'and IS. The plunger I8 is then made to move toward the die so that the inner end thereof B is made to flow up around the outer periphery 4 of the plunger 88 at the outer end thereof between the same and the inner walls of the hole 05 so as to form the cap-like portion 3 of the terminal connection. As the plunger is moved to its most extreme position in the hole 15, a portion of the material of the blank will be forced or extruded into and through the smaller hole I8 in the bottom of the die so as to form therein the elongated wire lead portion I of the terminal connection. As the blank is compressed and so formed, that portion of the material forming the cap-like portion 8 around the end of the plunger i5 is work hardened due to the coining action of the plunger on the metal blank and that portion of the material extruded'through and into the hole "5 in the lower part of the die is annealed due to the fact that the metal passes through and is confined by the small orifice or neck portion Zia. at a relatively high rate of speed thereby generating heat due to friction and as a result this portion of the metal blank 'is heated to a relatively high temperature (red hot) and. consequently, softened, thereby providing a relatively hardcap-like portion and a portion and this is one of the most important aspects of the present invention. After the terminal connection has been formed in the die, as above described, it is removed therefrom by moving the plunger it; to its retracted position and moving the ejector 2o upwardly into the die hole i8 from the bottom thereof, so as to strike the outer end of the wire lead portion l and upon further movement of the ejector, it will be seen-that the terminal connection is removed from the die and ready for use. The ejector is then m'oved to its retracted position and this completes the cycle in the making of one of the terminal? connections of my invention.

As aresult of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided an improved method of making terminal connections or resistor caps whereby the cap portion and wire lead portion aremade integral thereby providing a one-piece construction. By the use of my method, it will be seen also that the cap portion is hardened and the lead wire portion is softened in the forming operation, thereby eliminating the necessity of any subsequent'hardening or annealing operations, or any other operations such as soldering or dipping. Further, it will be seen that my method produces av combined cap and wire lead terminal connection or resistor cap which is economical to manufacture and at the same time, a connector in which the cap and lead wire portion are securely interconnected, thereby eliminating any danger of the parts becoming loosened or disconnected from each other. I

While I have shown and described one embodicap portion with an elongated solid wire-like exportion' integrally arranged theretruded lead.

with and extending outwardly therefrom, said cap portion being work hardened so as to be relatively tough and hard and said lead portion being relatively soft and flexible as a result of extruding.

2. A terminal connection of the class described, as defined in claim 1, wherein that portion of the body member at the junction of the cap portion and'the lead portion is an extruded curved fillet portion having a greater cross sectional area than the remainder of the lead portion so that the bending stresses to which the lead wire is subjected when in use are distributed over a relatively large area in the vicinity of said fillet.

3. A terminal connection of the class described, as defined in claim 1, wherein that portion of the body member at the junction of the cap portion and the lead portion is extruded and tapered gradually outwardly from said cap portion to said lead portion whereby said juncture portion is tougher and harder and has a greater cross sectional area than the remainder of said lead portion so that the bending stresses to which the lead wire is subjected when in use are distributed Number over a relatively large area'in the vicinity of said juncture portion. NOEL J. POUX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain June 29, 1939 

